The success of working of this system is
highly dependent on the accuracy of data that is
input. The individual Railways have to maintain and update the
data on real time basis to ensure correct output of distances.
Personnel from many Railway have visited CRIS/Chennai and had
input the data of individual Railways in co-ordination with CRIS
team. The different data to be input, their significance and the
method using which data is to be culled
out from standard documents and input is explained below.

The correct
details of stations in a Railway is critical for the core
functioning of the system. The following details about stations
are to be input.

Station alpha code

Station numeric code

Station name

Station status (Station, Junction,
Cabin, Yard, Interchange
point)

Gauge (Standard,
Metre, Narrow)

Siding (Y/N)

Halt (Y/N)

Traffic dealt (Coaching,
Goods, Both)

Transshipment point (Y/N)

The following
points may be borne in mind while feeding stations.

List of stations are maintained in a
separate database in the system. Provision is given in the main
menu to look at the station list Division wise and Railway
wise. Provision is also made to do the following.

To add new stations.

To delete existing station.

To modify details of a station (except
Alpha code)

To change Division / Zone of a station.

While you can view details of stations in
other zones, you can modify the details of stations of your
zone only.

Please ensure correct Spelling of station
name.

Alpha code should be unique. It was found that number of stations do
not have an alpha code or having same code as some other
station. Wherever such problem arises, temporary codes have
been given with Railway code followed by serial number as 01,02
etc. (Eg. For Taramani â?? II in SR, code has been given as
SR01). Railways have to ensure that correct codes as per IRCA
should be input to avoid errors since the system will be
working based on station alpha code.

The possible
routes which trains can take over a Division has to be
identified and input. There is a difference between the routes
as per the system and sections in LDT. Normally in LDT, the
Railway is divided into number of sections and distances are
given. Such sections are normally start and end at
junctions/terminals/Interchange points.

However, in
the system, routes have to be given in such a way that

a route starts and ends at a
junction/terminal/interchange point, and

there is no junction or interchange point in the
middle.

In other
words, a route will not have any diversion points in the middle.
Therefore, a section in LDT may be split into number of routes
to ensure that within a route, there is no diversion.

Virtual
Junctions

A station may
not be a junction physically, but will be treated as a junction
for the purpose of the software. These are called virtual
junctions. Such virtual junctions will include-

Divisional / zonal interchange points

Cabins

Normal stations in a section after which
a diversion takes place. For example WST in MAS Division after
which three lines take off towards KOK, BBQ and VPY from a
cabin.

Tips
to identify the routes in your zone

Study the system map carefully.

Study the system division wise and
write down the routes in geographical order starting from an
interchange point.

When you reach a junction, form a new
route from that junction to the next junction.

Continue this till you have covered a
Division. You have to make Division interchange points also as
virtual junctions even if they are not actual junctions.

While doing the above, you may come
across a bye pass line which avoids a junction ahead.

Such bye pass lines may either have
been notified for charging or may be used only for operational
purpose and not for charging.

If such bye pass lines have been
notified then you have to stop the route there and form
another route from the take off point to the next junction and
also another route for the bye pass line from where it takes
off and upto the point where it joins the main line.

If the bye pass line is not notified,
then you should ignore that line. For example, in MAS Division
in SR, a bye pass line exists from Melpakkam to Tiruttani
avoiding Arokkonam junction. Even though express trains also
use this path, this line is not notified and distance is
calculated only via arakkonam. Therefore this bye pass line
should not be given.

You have to ensure that all possible
connectivity is given in the routes. You have to study the
train operations pattern, various paths, check and ensure that
the routes you have formed will serve all the requirements.

Zero
Kilometre routes

A zero
kilometer route should be given in the following cases.

When there is no physical connection,
but tickets are issued via these stations. For example,
tickets are issued via Chennai Central and Chennai park for
passenger traffic towards south and vice versa. But there is
no direct line between MAS and MPK. So a route from MAS to
MPK has to be given with distance as zero.

When there are two alpha codes for a
station. For example, for Bareilly, code is BE in NR and BRY
in NER. For Indore, INDB for BG and INDM for MG. In such
cases, a route has to be formed as BE to BRY and INDB to INDM
with distance as zero.

When there is line going above and
another line below where passengers can change trains between
a station at high-level track and station in low-level track.
In such cases, to provide connectivity, a zero distance route
has to be given.

When a separate code exists for a
goods shed in a station. For example, at TPJ, the goods shed
alpha code is TPGY. But distance for charge is only TPJ. Here
a route from TPJ to TPGY with zero distance has to be given
to provide connectivity to TPGY.

Once the routes are identified, the routes
have to be fed in the system. The following details have to be
given.

Route From

Route To

Gauge (S/M/N)

Up and Down distance equal (Y/N) (If
distance is different, separate route should be formed for UP
and DN directions)

Inflation (Y/N) (If there is any
inflation prescribed for this section, type Y)

Active (Y/N) (If the section is closed
temporarily, type N)

Individual stations in Geographical
order, with the following details for each station.

Station alpha code (Station name will
be displayed automatically. If not displayed, then that
station is not available in the station database. You have to
use add new station option and add the station first to the
database. Then you have to give the station code in the
route).

Engineering distance (From the
starting station of the route)

Coaching and Goods distance (if
different from engineering distance)

Station status (J,S,I,C,Y)

Type of traffic (G,C,B)

You have to add stations one by one in
geographical order, with the cumulative distance from the
route starting station.

Always remember and ensure that a
station can be available in only one route except in case of
junctions and virtual junctions.

After reaching the route ending
station, save the route.

Maintenance of route
distances

In the main menu, click on routes
option.

The list of routes pertaining to the
zone and division selected will be displayed. If you single
click on a route, the details of the route will be displayed
for you to do any modification.

You can at any point of time, add new
routes, delete existing routes, modify the routes, split the
routes at a station in the middle, change the division of the
route etc.

Sidings charged on through distance
basis upto the buffer end of the siding are called independent
sidings.

Sidings charged upto serving station
and siding charges from serving station to siding are called
non-independent sidings.

Non-Independent
sidings

Separate
option is given in the main menu for input of non-independent
sidings. You have to feed the following details.

Siding alpha code

Siding name

Serving station alpha code

Remarks, if any

Independent
sidings

Such sidings are notified with serving
station and the distance from serving station to the sidings.
Sometimes, distance is notified from more than one direction.
(Eg. BKSC). For such sidings, the following has to be done.

Add the siding in siding database using
the station option in the main menu.

Identify the route in which the serving
station lies.

Split the route at that station, duly
marking the station as junction.

Add a new route from the serving
station to the siding.

If distance has been notified from more
than one direction, then identify the station from which each
distance is notified. Then split the routes in which such
stations lie and form new route from those stations to the
siding with the respective notified distances.

The routes rationalized under this
scheme have been notified by Ministry of Railways.

You can view a Rationalised Route
notified in the following way.

a) A specfic route identified by a
Starting station and a Ending station over specific via points
are specified as prohibited.

b) The substitute route with same
starting and ending stations but with different via points are
specified as Rationalised route.

c) The condition when the Rationalsied
route is to be applied is also specified in the notification.
Some of the conditions can be commodity or specific area of
origin and/or area of destination etc.. Some exceptions may
also be specified. This is a view of the simple
rationalisation route while some are more complicated.

The rationalised routes notified in
your Railway has to be specified in the ways laid out as a),
b) and c) and entered. Whatever you enter as c) will be
presented to the operator for taking a decision if he has to
ask the software to apply the Rationalised Route keeping in
mind the purpose for which he is calculating the distance.

Please send the details of
rationalization in your Railway with your comments and
suggestions to us through email.

Inflated distances where applicable for
goods or passenger traffic are already added to the
coaching/goods distances.

Inflation for specific traffic (say
military goods etc.) will be catered for using another screen.